Picture this...

A lone dairy cow stands in the midst of a burning barn with flaming timbers falling into the hay all around her.  She realizes that her only hope of survival lies in being able to run full force at one of the flaming walls, and hopefully breaking through to the cool, fresh air she knows is waiting on the other side.

But just as she tenses her muscles to start her dash towards the wall of roaring fire, she senses something climbing up one of her hind legs.  Not wanting to be distracted during what will turn out to be either the most important run of her life... or the last, she looks closely at the spot where the distracting sensation is coming from, and spots an amorous ant inching its way up towards her, um, private bits.

Mistaking her look of surprise for fear, the ant quickly assures her "Don't worry sweetheart, I'll be gentle".

I've shared this story in order to try to convey the exact level of concern that Israel's senior government officials are currently experiencing in the wake of Bolivia's announcement today that it has severed diplomatic ties with the Jewish State over what it has termed 'Israel's genocidal attack on Palestinians in Gaza'.

News flash for Bolivia:  Genocide is what the Spanish Conquistadors did to your ancestors in the early 16th century.  What Israel is doing to the Hamas is trying to put out a fire that has been burning non-stop around her citizens for several years! 

Your small announcement that you intend to bring Israel's leaders to trial in the International Court of Justice must seem quite grand and important to you.  But I assure you, the sum total result of your announcement will be that at some point in the future, some functionary at the Israeli Foreign Ministry will have to schedule a low-level meeting to address the need to replace the sudden and curious shortfall in our supply of colorful wool ponchos, tasseled hats and recorded pan-pipe music.

Your country, on the other hand, has much to lose from this ill-advised move.  Aside from formally aligning yourselves with the 'axis of evil' that will one day have its day of reckoning (a real fire, if you catch my drift), you need to think for a moment about the sad truth that Bolivia has the lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South America.  I'm guessing a fair portion of the hard currency flowing through your economy at any given time arrives in the pockets of post-army Israeli back-packers who come to tour through the ruins of Inca cities that show evidence of technological prowess that your present society can only dream about today.  Just how attractive a destination do you think Israelis will find Bolivia now that your true feelings towards us have been revealed?

But go ahead and throw in your hat with Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the rest of the world's over-achievers.  Really... good luck with that.  Just don't be too surprised when your announcement doesn't provoke a reaction - of any sort (except perhaps from bored bloggers like me). 

You see, Israel is busy putting out fires over here... and saving her citizens from the flames.  So you just go on ahead and do whatever it is you need to do.  Be as gentle or rough as you like.  I assure you, your efforts won't even be noticed.